


Ho Ho Hopefully

by tabbytabbytabby



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Confessions, Everyone Is Alive, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Pining, Werewolf Derek Hale, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:34:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27965390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: Stiles isn't happy when his plans for winter break get ruined and he winds up having to spend the holidays over a thousand miles from home. To make things worse, he has to endure sharing a room with Derek Hale, someone he may or may not be harboring secret feelings for. As the day goes on, he comes to realize that being stuck in a snowy cabin with Derek might not be such a bad thing.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 18
Kudos: 187
Collections: Sterek Goodness, The Sterek Secret Santa - Edition 2020





	Ho Ho Hopefully

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Trex_has_fleas/gifts).



> Written for HaleHathNoFury for the 2020 Sterek Secret Santa. You said you like fluff, high school au's, and magical Stiles so I incorporated some of that in here. Hope you enjoy it. Happy Holidays! 💖
> 
> Title comes from the song by The Maine with the same title.

All Stiles can think as he looks out at the snow covered ground as it blurs past is that this is going to be the worst winter break ever. Even worse than the one he spent sick at home. Because at least then he'd been home and able to see his friends once he'd been well enough. 

Now, he's going to be stuck in some cabin in the middle of nowhere because his parents thought it would be good for them to all get away and take a vacation together. 

He loves his parents, he does, but he'd had plans for winter break. And those plans hadn't involved being thousands of miles away from his friends and close to freezing to death. 

“This is the worst,” Stiles mutters as he follows his parents out of the jeep. 

His dad sighs from the back and tosses his bag at him. “You’re being just a bit dramatic, son.”

“Yeah well you’re not the one who had all your plans uprooted at the last minute,” Stiles tells him.

His dad raises an eyebrow, “You didn’t even have any plans. You just said you were going to lay around and play video games with Scott.”

“Those are plans!”

His dad closes the trunk and steps up to him. He looks around and lowers his voice. “Son, this means a lot to your mom, alright? She’s been sad about you going off to college next year and has it in her head you’re never going to come back. I know this isn’t how you wanted to spend Christmas, but can you just suck it up for her? Please?”

Stiles is hit with a wave of guilt. He’d been so wrapped up in how much it sucked for him, he hadn’t thought about what it meant to his mom. He bites his lip and nods. “Yeah, okay.”

His dad claps a hand on his shoulder and turns him towards the cabin. “This is going to be fun. You’ll see.”

“If you say…” Stiles’ words die in his throat when the door to the cabin opens to reveal none other than Derek Hale smiling out at them. Derek, who has no right to look as attractive as he does in his stupid beanie and leather jacket, with a sweater with dancing snowmen on underneath. And god are those thumb holes? Stiles should just turn around and go faceplant in the snow and let nature take its course because there is no way he’s surviving this trip. Not with Derek looking this adorable. This is all really unfair, and the universe must have it out for him or something if it expects him to endure all this.

“You made it,” Derek says. He actually looks pleased about that too. As if there’s nothing in the world that makes him happier than seeing the Stilinski’s standing at the door to his family cabin.

“Yeah we got a little turned around for a moment thanks to all that snow, but we got here,” his dad says. He urges Stiles forward so he can step in behind him. “Didn’t Claudia come inside?”

“I don’t know, I just got down here,” Derek admits. He tilts his head. “It sounds like she’s in the kitchen with my parents and Laura.”

The sheriff nods, “Well then, just show us to our rooms and I’ll get these put away.”

“Nonsense,” Derek says. “Stiles and I can handle the bags. You go relax.”

Stiles watches as his dad hesitates, looking between Stiles and Derek. “You’re sure?”

Stiles sure as hell isn’t sure. He doesn’t exactly want to get stuck alone with Derek, but he told his dad he would suck it up, so he just purses his lips as Derek smiles and places a hand on his dad’s back, urging him towards the kitchen. “We’ve got it.”

“Well thank you,” his dad says. “I really could use some hot chocolate.”

“Not too much!” Stiles calls after him.

His dad ignores him and Stiles sighs. He kicks off his boots and shrugs out of his coat, before grabbing some of the bags. “Alright, lead the way.”

“Hello to you too Stiles,” Derek says.

“Yes, hi,” Stiles says. “The rooms?”

Derek raises an eyebrow, and Stiles doesn’t blame him. He is being a little short, and no doubt rude. But it’s for his own good. Derek doesn’t comment on it though. Just grabs the remaining bags and starts down to the hall, leaving Stiles to follow. “This way. Your room is going to be downstairs, and your parents upstairs.”

“Why do I feel like a little kid getting stuck with a broom closet?”

Derek snorts, “It’s a nice room, trust me, and it has a hell of a view.”

“Uh huh.”

“You haven’t even seen it yet,” Derek says over his shoulder. “Always so cynical.”

“I am not!”

“You are,” Derek says. He stops and pushes the door to one of the rooms open and then gestures for Stiles to step inside.

Stiles moves past him into the room, preparing to hate whatever he sees. Instead of seeing some tiny sparsely decorated room, he sees a room bigger than the one he has at home, fit with two beds on opposite walls. Stiles tilts his head, “Two beds?”

“Did I not mention we’d be rooming together?” Derek asks innocently.

Stiles turns to face him, his eyes wide. “What?”

“There’s only four rooms,” Derek says.

“And?”

“And my parents are taking one, then Laura, then your parents,” Derek says. “So unless you want to sleep on the couch…”

“I don’t.”

“Well neither do I,” Derek says. “So it looks like we’re going to be spending a lot of time together.”

“Yeah looks it,” Stiles mutters, looking around the room. He moves to the back, to where a door sits. It leads out to a small deck that looks out onto the lake. It is nice, Stiles admits. Although not out loud. He can’t have anyone thinking he actually likes it here. 

“This is why this room is my favorite,” Derek says, stepping up next to him. “It has the best view in the whole cabin.”

Stiles shrugs, “It’s not bad.”

“Does anything make you happy?” Derek asks him.

Stiles frowns, “Of course.”

“I know this wasn’t ideal,” Derek says. “You had your plans. But…”

“What?”

Derek shrugs, “I don’t know. I was pretty happy when my parents said you were coming.”

“You were?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because I thought it meant we could spend some time together,” Derek says. “Hang out.”

“You want to hang out with me?” Stiles asks. “But I thought you…”

“What?”

“I thought you hated me,” Stiles says.

“Why on earth would you think that?” Derek asks him.

“Because you never talk to me,” Stiles says, throwing his hands up.

“I do,” Derek says. “But you’re not always that… receptive. And…”

“What?”

Derek clears his throat, “Nothing. I’m just… I’m glad you’re here Stiles. And I hope you will be too.”

He takes the remaining bags and leaves the room, closing the door behind him. Stiles is left standing next to the door, feeling more confused than ever. What the hell was that?

* * *

Stiles plans to put his stuff away and then go find his parents, his dad’s words echoing in his head about how important this trip is to his mom. But he makes the mistake of sitting on the bed while texting Scott, which leads to him laying down. And before he knows it, his eyes are drifting closed.

He wakes suddenly, to the feeling of a hand on his arm. He sits up, his eyes glowing and hands out as he prepares to fight off any threat. Then he sees Derek, standing next to the bed with his own hands raised, and sporting a sheepish smile. “Sorry. Mom just sent me to get you for dinner. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You didn’t scare me,” Stiles mutters.

“Uh huh. So you just go on the magic defense after every nap?”

Stiles can't fight back the urge to roll his eyes as he throws his legs over the side of the bed and sits up. "Only when I'm not in familiar territory. Which I'm not. Besides, I bet you wouldn't like someone shouting you awake either."

"I didn't shout," Derek argues.

“Oh yes you did!”

“No,” Derek says calmly. “I did not.”

“You did!”

“What’s with all the shouting?” Derek’s mother, Talia, asks. She’s standing at the door looking between the two of them.

Stiles shoots a triumphant smirk at Derek, “Told you.”

“Pretty sure she wasn’t talking about me, Stiles,” Derek says.

“I wasn’t,” Talia says. “Derek knows better than to raise his voice in a house full of wolves.”

“Any reason you were yelling at Derek?” Stiles’ dad asks.

“I wasn’t yelling at him,” Stiles says, making sure to keep his tone even. “We were just having a disagreement.”

“About?”

“About whether _he_ was shouting when he woke me up,” Stiles says.

“I didn’t hear anything,” Talia says. “At least not until you started raising your voice.”

Derek’s the one to spot the triumphant grin now. Stiles rolls his eyes. “Yeah yeah, smirk all you want. You still could have found a better way to wake me up.”

“I’m sorry if I startled you,” Derek says. “That wasn’t my intention.”

Stiles has two options here. One, he can accept Derek’s apology and apologize himself. Or two, he can ignore him and walk out of here and look like an asshole. And well, he never claimed not to be an asshole.

He rolls his eyes and starts towards the door, “Yeah sure buddy.”

“ _Stiles_ ,” his dad warns.

Stiles sighs and tilts his head back, looking at the ceiling, “I’m sorry.” It would be easy to walk out of here and leave it at that. But when does he ever make things easy. “I’m sorry you don’t know how to wake people up. So maybe you should work on that.”

He leaves the room and heads down the hall. He realizes halfway down the hall he doesn’t actually know where the kitchen is, but it’s not hard to find his way, simply following the smell of food drifting towards him. 

“Hi sweetheart,” his mother says, smiling over at him when he walks into the room. “Settling in okay?”

Stiles puts a smile on his face as he accepts the hug she gives him, “Yeah mom.”

“Seems you and Derek are getting along _swell_ ,” Laura says. Of course she’d have heard what had happened. 

“Oh yeah, perfectly splendid,” Stiles says.

“I was hoping you would,” Laura says. “He is quite fond of you.”

“Laura,” Derek says, a warning note to his voice. 

“Derek doesn’t like me,” Stiles blurts out.

Laura’s eyebrows shoot up, “No?”

Stiles shakes his head as he takes his seat at the table, which his luck happens to be right across from Derek. “No.”

“Stiles I told you before that’s not true,” Derek says.

Stiles shrugs, “If you say so.”

Laura and Derek share a look, Laura looking like she has something she wants to say. She purses her lips and remains silent when Derek shakes his head. 

“Something smells great,” Stiles says.

“Derek made spaghetti,” his mom says.

“You cook?” Stiles asks.

“He’s an excellent cook,” Laura says. “I keep telling him he should be a chef, but he insists on going into history.”

“That’s what I’m interested in,” Derek tells her. “It makes me happy.”

“So does cooking,” Laura points out.

“That doesn’t mean I want to do it for a living,” Derek says.

“Well you’d certainly be good at it,” Stiles says, the compliment slipping from his lips before he can stop himself. He finishes chewing his food and smiles. “Because this is delicious.”

Derek ducks his head but Stiles doesn’t miss the shy smile on his lips, or the slight pink tinge to his cheeks. It’s kind of cute actually. He really should not be thinking that right now. Luckily Derek speaks to save him from opening his mouth and saying something stupid. “Thank you.”

“Should have known the way to Stiles’ heart would be through his stomach,” Laura teases.

Stiles ignores her and focuses on the food in front of him. Because he knows there’s no way he can disagree with her. Any denial about having feelings for Derek would be automatically caught as a lie in the room of werewolves. It’s unfortunate. He’s done a damn good job of keeping himself in check. He’s not going to out himself now.

It’s halfway through the meal when he feels a foot pressing against his leg. He looks across the table at Derek, who’s talking to Laura. Derek’s eyes find his for a moment and he smiles, before turning away again. Huh. Interesting. 

“Anyone for desert?” Talia asks. “I made pie.”

“Oh I love pie,” Stiles says.

“So I heard,” she laughs. “Derek was insistent we had all your favorites here.”

“He was?”

“Oh sure,” Derek’s father, Robert, says. “He wanted you to enjoy your time here. All of you, of course.”

“It’s been wonderful so far,” Stiles’ mother says. “We really appreciate you inviting us out here.”

Stiles smiles as Talia places a slice of apple pie in front of him. His favorite. It’s delicious, but it’s still tainted with the feeling of guilt rising in him. He certainly hasn’t been behaving like someone deserving of pie.

“This is great,” Stiles says. “Thank you. And thank you for having us.”

“You’re quite welcome, Stiles,” Talia says. “We do hope you’ll find a way to enjoy yourself.”

“I’m sure I will,” Stiles tells her. He owes it to his mother, and himself, to try. As well as all the Hale’s. They were nice enough to invite them out here, and Stiles has been a bit of an ungrateful shit. He can admit that. Still, there’s time to make up for that.

After dinner, the adults head into the living room to set up for game night, and Stiles offers to wash the dishes. It’s the least he can do. Derek, of course, stays back with him. 

“You know, since you cooked I’m pretty sure it’s not your job to wash the dishes,” Stiles tells him.

Derek shrugs, “I don’t mind helping.”

They work in silence for a while, Stiles washing the dishes while Derek rinses and dries. It’s not uncomfortable. Stiles doesn’t feel the nagging in his brain to fill the silence with nervous chatter. But there is something he knows he has to say since they’re alone.

“I am sorry for how I’ve been acting,” Stiles says. “I guess I was a little hangry.”

“A little?” Derek teases.

Stiles rolls his eyes, “Okay, maybe a lot.”

“It’s not just that though, is it?” Derek guesses.

“I was just looking forward to having this break with Scott, you know?” Stiles says. “It’s the last Christmas break we’ll have before college. So I wanted to make the most of it. So I was a little upset when I got here. But it wasn’t fair to take that out on you.”

“You’re right, it wasn’t,” Derek says, and Stiles sighs. “But I get it.”

“You do?”

“I’ve been coming out here every Christmas since I was a kid,” Derek says. “I love it out here, a lot, but sometimes I wish I could have stayed with my friends.”

“Not this year?” 

Derek shrugs, “It seemed important to be here this year. Like you said, it’s our last Christmas before college. I feel like I owe it to my parents to be here, you know?”

Stiles nods, “Yeah I know. My dad kept saying it means a lot to my mom that we’re all together like this. So at first I was going to make the most of it for her.”

“At first?”

“I don’t know,” Stiles smiles over at him. “I’m starting to think it might not be horrible.”

Derek gasps, “Did you just admit to enjoying something?”

“I know, it surprised me too,” Stiles says. “But don’t tell anyone.”

“It’ll be our secret,” Derek tells him.

“I’m trusting you with this, Derek Hale,” Stiles says. “Don’t let me down.”

Derek laughs and takes the plate Stiles hands him, “Your secret is safe with me, Stiles.”

They lapse into silence again as they finish up the dishes. Stiles feels lighter now somehow than he has since he first stepped foot in the house. Hell, probably since they packed up and left early this morning. They finish up, and Stiles goes to leave the kitchen to join their parents and Laura in the living room. Derek stops him with a hand on his arm.

“I am glad you’re here, Stiles.”

Before Stiles has a chance to reply, he’s dropping Stiles’ arm and walking away. Stiles is left standing there, watching him leave. His heart is thudding in his chest, and he swears he can still feel the warmth of Derek’s hand on his skin.

Shit.

This won’t do. Whatever he’s feeling, he needs to get it under control. The last thing he needs is to walk out there with his feelings written all over his face in a house fool of werewolves. All he has to do is survive an hour of games and then he’ll be in the clear.

It’s not hard, thankfully. Everyone is so wrapped up in the games that they hardly pay him any mind. Which is more than fine with him. He gets paired up with Derek for charades and it’s actually pretty fun. They work well together. So well that they wind up winning more than half the rounds they play, until Laura groans and says they’re cheating somehow.

“You’re not even playing,” Derek tells her.

“Maybe not, but I still feel bad for our poor parents,” Laura says. “You two are winning so much there has to be something else going on.” She looks between the two with a smirk. “Something cosmic, maybe.”

“It’s just charades, Laura,” Derek laughs.

“Is it though?” Laura ponders. “What do you think, mom?”

“I think you’ve been at the eggnog too long,” Talia says.

“You know I’m right,” Laura says. “You’ll all see. Just you wait.”

The Hale parents share a look, but neither comment further. Derek rolls his eyes as he takes his place next to Stiles on the couch.

“What was that about?” Stiles asks.

“Just Laura being Laura,” Derek says.

It’s going on 9 when Stiles feigns being tired and bids everyone goodnight. He’s just slipped into his pajamas, a matching pants and bottoms set with reindeers that his mom had bought him, when a knock sounds on the door and Derek’s voice drifts through. “Stiles? Are you decent?”

“Yeah I’m good,” Stiles quietly calls back. He learned his lesson earlier to keep his voice down.

The door opens and Derek slips in, closing it behind him. He looks Stiles up and down and smiles. Stiles points a finger at him. “Don’t say anything.”

“They’re cute. In fact,” Derek walks over to his suitcase and ruffles around for a moment before holding something up. The same pajamas Stiles has. Both in a matching shade of bright red. Of course. His mom had seemed a little too happy when she gave him the pajamas earlier this week.

Stiles laughs, “Let me guess, your mom got them for you?”

“She did,” Derek says. “She got me a pair for every night here.”

“Mine too,” Stiles says.

“What do you think the chances are they’re all going to match?” Derek asks him.

“I’d say pretty good,” Stiles says. “Knowing them they went shopping together and thought it would be cute to make us match.”

“No doubt.” He looks from Stiles to the pajamas and clears his throat. “Could you…?”

“What? Oh! Right. Umm…” Stiles turns away, his eyes landing on the door leading out to the porch. “I’ll just go out here while you change.”

He slips out before Derek can say anything, and immediately regrets it when the cold winter air hits him. “Shit,” he mutters, wrapping his arms around himself. He moves to the couch swing and sits down, tucking his legs under him in hopes to get a little warmer. 

The door opens a few minutes and Derek walks outside. He has a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and two mugs in his hands. “Mom made us hot chocolate,” Derek says, handing one of the mugs over to Stiles as he takes a seat next to him.

Stiles takes it, grateful for the heat coming from the cup. He sips it greedily. The warmth from the hot chocolate spread through him, chasing the cold away, at least temporarily. Stiles has never been one to savor things, unfortunately, and he finishes his drink quickly. He thinks about going back inside. It would be the smart thing to do. It is warmer. But instead, he sets the mug on the table next to him, and looks out at the snow covered lake. 

The swing sways slightly as Derek rocks it with his foot. It’s nice, calming even. The swaying paired with the hot chocolate have done a good job of relaxing him. But still, it’s cold. And the snow doesn’t help.

"You know, I could just magic all this snow away," Stiles offers. 

"Don't you dare."

Stiles raises an eyebrow, "Don't tell me you like this."

Derek shrugs, the gesture barely noticeable under the thick blanket covering him. At least he was smart enough to bring one out with him. He blows into his hot chocolate before taking a sip. "It's nice. Peaceful. Sure, sometimes I miss my friends back home over break. But I've always loved coming up here because it provides a little break from the chaos, which we all need, and lets us just exist."

Stiles looks out at the snow covered lake and tries to see what Derek is seeing. This whole time he's been looking at it through the lens of not wanting to be here and what he was missing out on. What would he see if he focused on what he had here instead? If he did just exist in this moment?

He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. He does feel more in tune to his magic here. As if even it feels drawn to this place. And maybe…

He glances over at Derek to see him looking out at the lake as he sips his drink. He's different than Stiles is used to. He’s certainly more relaxed. He looks… happy. Stiles finds he likes the look. 

“You really like it here,” Stiles whispers. It’s not a question, more a realization as things start to settle into place.

Derek turns his head and smiles. There’s small flakes of snow sticking to his cheeks and eyelashes, and Stiles gasps. “I do,” Derek says.

Stiles finds himself smiling in return. “Maybe I could too.”

“Yeah?”

Stiles shrugs, “Yeah. You know, it is pretty here, and the view isn’t so bad.” He hasn’t looked away from Derek as he says the words. And why would he? The snow covered lake has nothing on Derek’s smile. And god, when did he start thinking like that? A long time ago if he’s being honest with himself, but he never really let himself linger on it. But now, something about this moment, makes him want to take a chance. To hope for something more. “The company isn’t so bad either,” Stiles adds, hoping to get his point across.

Derek sets his mug of cocoa down and leans across the swing, causing it to rock beneath them, until he’s hovering over Stiles. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, your mom is great,” Stiles jokes.

Derek huffs out a laugh and digs his fingers into Stiles’ sides, “Seriously?”

Stiles laughs and flails, trying to bat Derek’s hands away, before they wind up settling on his shoulders. “No. God.”

“My name’s Derek, but it’s nice to know you think so highly of me,” Derek teases.

His fingers are no longer attacking him, but they haven’t left his body. They’re warm somehow, probably from the cocoa or just Derek’s stupid werewolf body heat. The contrast to their warmth against his exposed skin, to the cold winter air, makes him shiver.

“Stiles?”

Stiles blinks, coming back to himself. “Hmm?”

“Are you cold?” Derek asks, his brow pinching adorably as he frowns.

Stiles laughs and raises his hand to brush over the crease in Derek’s forehead. “Of course I am. We’re outside in the middle of winter. And not all of us have supernatural body heat.”

Derek’s eyes widen and he starts to move back, “We should go inside.”

Stiles keeps his grip on one of Derek’s shoulders, “No. Stay.”

“But you’re cold,” Derek says.

“And you’re not.”

“Well no…”

“Because you have supernatural body heat,” Stiles says. He squirms enough to slip his hands under Derek’s blanket and grins up at him. “And this nice, warm, comfy blanket. That looks like it could be big enough for two.”

He raises an eyebrow, hoping Derek gets his point. Derek stares at him a moment, his mouth open, but no words coming out. Then he blinks. Once. Twice. A grin works its way onto his lips. “Oh? And who else should I invite inside this warm, comfy, blanket?”

“Hmm I can think of someone,” Stiles says. “Someone who has maybe been a little slow and never caught on to what was right in front of him.”

“And has he now?”

“Yeah, I’d definitely say so.” He rubs a hand down Derek’s back and smiles when Derek inhales sharply and his eyes flutter closed. He leans in closer, stopping a few inches from Derek’s face. “What do you say, Der? Want to let me in?”

Derek opens his eyes and their gazes lock. They don’t look away, even as Derek lets the blanket fall open, and Stiles moves in closer until he’s pressed flush against Derek. Derek wraps his arms around Stiles, pulling the blanket securely around them both. He lays him back against the swing, his body a warm, solid weight above him. The swing is still swaying beneath them but neither notice nor care. The only thing they can focus on is each other.

Stiles’ hand is gripping Derek’s sweater under the blanket, and he can still feel himself shaking. He’s not even sure anymore if it’s from nerves or the cold. They’re still not talking. Just looking. God one of them should say something, right?

“Hi.”

Not the most eloquent thing to say, but it’s a start. And it gets Derek to smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Hi.”

“I uhh…”

“Don’t tell me you’ve gone speechless,” Derek teases.

Stiles laughs, “Maybe a bit.”

Derek squeezes his hip and Stiles feels himself relax, “Are you warmer?”

He _is_. So much warmer. How could he not be wrapped up in the blanket and Derek? He’s afraid if he says yes that Derek will pull back, and he’s not ready to let him go just yet.

“I don’t know,” Stiles says. He licks his lips, and Derek's eyes drift down, tracking the movement. _Oh_. How the hell had he missed this? Doesn’t matter. He’s on the right page now, and he’s not about to waste this opportunity. “My lips are still a little cold.”

“Yeah?” Derek whispers. “Well we can’t have that.”

“Nope.”

Derek meets his gaze and smiles, “I guess we’ll just have to warm them up then, huh?”

“Just c’mere.” 

Stiles uses his grip on Derek’s sweater to pull him closer as he tilts his head up, and then they’re kissing. It’s not the most eloquent of kisses. Stiles’ lips still feel half frozen. But Stiles never wants it to stop. He wants them to stay like this until every frozen part of him thaws, from his lips to his heart. Derek’s doing a pretty damn good job at working on both. 

“We should go in,” Derek murmurs against his lips.

Stiles whines and tightens his grip on Derek’s sweater, “No.”

A hard gust of wind blows around them, rocking the swing harder and Derek chuckles, “The swing isn’t the best place to be right now. Besides, it’s warmer in there, Stiles.”

“You’re warm.”

“ _Stiles._ ”

Stiles sighs, “Fine. On one condition.”

“What’s what?”

He kisses Derek quickly, “I’m sleeping with you tonight.”

Derek coughs, “What?”

“I just… I meant in the same bed,” Stiles says quickly. “You know, cuddling and shit. I wouldn’t… not with our parents and your sister here. Not that that’s what you want anyway. Oh god. Please just shut me up.”

“Never,” Derek says. “I like when you talk.”

Stiles snorts, “Yeah well, you’re the only one.”

“You look adorable when you’re excited about something,” Derek tells him.

Stiles groans, “Adorable? Really?”

“What? What’s wrong with adorable?” 

“Nothing,” Stiles says. “It’s just, you know, used for things like bunnies and puppies and…”

“Stiles.”

“Yes, I know you’re including me in that.”

“ _Stiles_.”

“What?”

Derek smiles and kisses him, something soft and sweet. “I adore you.”

Stiles blinks at him, sure that this has to be some sort of dream and Derek is just going to disappear. But he doesn’t. He remains there, smiling down at him. “I adore you too.”

Derek’s smile grows and then they’re kissing again. The snow continues to fall, covering the frozen ground and lake. Neither pay it any mind. 

Stiles yelps when he finds himself being lifted up off the swing and into Derek’s arms as he walks them towards the door. “What are you doing?”

“Carrying you inside before you catch a cold,” Derek tells him.

Stiles can’t say he minds being in Derek’s arms like this. In fact, he likes it quite a lot. He likes it even better when Derek lowers him down onto the bed and then crawls in after them, wrapping them both up in his thick blanket. Stiles snuggles in closer, his face tucked into Derek’s neck as Derek’s hands move up and down his arm and back. He falls asleep like that, feeling safe and warm in Derek’s arms. 

When he wakes up the next morning, still snuggled up to Derek’s chest, with the morning sun casting a warm glow across Derek’s sleeping face, he thinks that being here might not be so bad after all. It’s actually pretty great.


End file.
